Evaluating Acute Viral Gastroenteritis Severity: Modified Vesikari and Clark Scoring Systems

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Infectious Diseases
• Epidemiology
• Clinical Severity Scoring

Background:

• Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is a major global child mortality cause.
• Objective evaluation of AGE severity is crucial for intervention assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify risk factors for severe AGE presentations.
• To evaluate the utility of the modified Vesikari score (MVS) and Clark score (CS) in assessing AGE severity.

Main Methods:

• Prospective surveillance of children (15 days–17 years) with AGE from December 2012 to June 2016.
• Stool specimen testing for common enteric viruses (norovirus, sapovirus, rotavirus, astrovirus).
• Comparison of demographic and clinical data, MVS, and CS by viral detection and healthcare setting.

Main Results:

• Rotavirus detection, younger age, male sex, and hospitalization were linked to higher MVS and CS.
• Non-Hispanic Black children had lower MVS/CS compared to non-Hispanic White children.
• Prematurity and emergency department enrollment correlated with higher CS.

Conclusions:

• Rotavirus remains a significant cause of severe pediatric AGE.
• MVS and CS are reliable, comparable tools for quantifying AGE severity.